When Every Door Is a Doggie Door

Here's your nightly math! Just 5 quick minutes of number fun for kids and parents at home. Read a cool fun fact, followed by math riddles at different levels so everyone can jump in. Your kids will love you for it.

When Every Door Is a Doggie Door

Dog is man’s best friend — but sometimes dogs like to take charge. In this great video from our longtime fan JP in Santa Barbara, his dog Hunter isn’t waiting around for anyone. Hunter has learned how to open a door using the handle, and lets himself into the house just like a person. It helps that he’s huge: when he stands on his hind legs, he’s 6 feet 6 inches tall! He and his buddy Chase are German Shepherds, a breed (type of dog) that’s famous for being smart. They can learn a trick after just 5 tries, and they’ll follow a command on the first try 95% of the time. Now let’s see if we can teach them to wash dishes…

Wee ones: What shape is that door?

Little kids: When Hunter stands on his hind legs, how many of his 4 legs are in the air? Bonus: Hunter weighs 100 pounds and Chase weighs 84 pounds. Which dog weighs more?

Big kids: If JP teaches Hunter 6 new tricks, and Hunter tries each one 5 times, how many total tries does Hunter take? Bonus: If Hunter stood next to you at his full 6 feet 6 inches, how much taller than you would he stand? (Reminder if needed: A foot has 12 inches.)

About the Author

Laura Bilodeau Overdeck is founder and president of Bedtime Math Foundation. Her goal is to make math as playful for kids as it was for her when she was a child. Her mom had Laura baking before she could walk, and her dad had her using power tools at a very unsafe age, measuring lengths, widths and angles in the process. Armed with this early love of numbers, Laura went on to get a BA in astrophysics from Princeton University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business; she continues to star-gaze today. Laura’s other interests include her three lively children, chocolate, extreme vehicles, and Lego Mindstorms.